Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025
Signed into law Jun 12, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security
What this law does
- Renews the Department of Defense's authority to sell extra aircraft and parts for fighting wildfires, from June 12, 2025, until October 1, 2035.
- Allows these aircraft to drop water on wildfires, not only fire retardant.
- Removes the earlier limit on using these purchased aircraft to help fight wildfires in other countries.
Plain-language list by Voting On, based only on the official summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the bill's titles. Read the official summary.
How it became law
- IntroducedJan 21, 2025 · Senate
- 77 daysPassed SenateApr 8, 2025
- 56 daysPassed HouseJun 3, 2025
- 7 daysPresented to the PresidentJun 10, 2025
- 2 daysSigned into lawJun 12, 2025
Official summary
Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025
This act reauthorizes the Department of Defense to sell its excess aircraft and aircraft parts that are acceptable for commercial sale for wildfire suppression purposes. Such authority begins June 12, 2025, and ends October 1, 2035.
The act also provides that such aircraft may be used to deliver water by air in order to suppress wildfire (the previous authority only provided for the delivery of fire retardant).
The act removes the previous limitation on providing international wildfire suppression assistance with such purchased aircraft.
Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Jun 12, 2025).
Who wrote it
Sponsor: Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT]
8 cosponsors: 5 Democrats, 3 Republicans. 1 signed on the day it was introduced, 7 joined later.
Show all cosponsors
| Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|
| Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] | Jan 21, 2025 | Original cosponsor |
| Sen. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK] | Feb 3, 2025 | |
| Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] | Feb 3, 2025 | |
| Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] | Feb 19, 2025 | |
| Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] | Mar 6, 2025 | |
| Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] | Mar 6, 2025 | |
| Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] | Apr 1, 2025 | |
| Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] | Apr 2, 2025 |
Recorded votes
No recorded roll-call votes. It passed by voice vote or unanimous consent, where individual votes are not recorded.
What was added
Amendments adopted (1)
| Amendment | Sponsor | What it did | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.Amdt. 2223 Apr 8, 2025 | Tim Sheehy (R-MT) | To modify the period for exercise of authority for the sale by the Department of Defense of aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression purposes. | Adopted agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Sections in the final law that were not in the first version (Introduced in Senate) (0)
None. Every section heading in the final law was already in the first version (Introduced in Senate).
What was removed
Sections in the first version (Introduced in Senate) that did not make it into the law (0)
None. Every section heading from the first version (Introduced in Senate) remains in the law.
Compared by section heading between the Introduced in Senate text (Jan 21, 2025) and the Enrolled Bill text, both from GovInfo. Wording changes inside a section that kept its heading are not shown here; see the amendments and the text versions.
Proposed but not adopted
No amendments were voted down or withdrawn.
Full action history
Show all 22 official actions
| Jun 12, 2025 | Signed by President. |
| Jun 12, 2025 | Signed by President. |
| Jun 12, 2025 | Became Public Law No: 119-18. |
| Jun 12, 2025 | Became Public Law No: 119-18. |
| Jun 10, 2025 | Presented to President. |
| Jun 10, 2025 | Presented to President. |
| Jun 3, 2025 | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. |
| Jun 3, 2025 | Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2390) |
| Jun 3, 2025 | On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2390) |
| Jun 3, 2025 | DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 160. |
| Jun 3, 2025 | Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2390) |
| Jun 3, 2025 | Mr. Comer moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. |
| Apr 9, 2025 | Held at the desk. |
| Apr 9, 2025 | Received in the House. |
| Apr 9, 2025 | Message on Senate action sent to the House. |
| Apr 8, 2025 | Senate Committee on Armed Services discharged by Unanimous Consent. |
| Apr 8, 2025 | Senate Committee on Armed Services discharged by Unanimous Consent. |
| Apr 8, 2025 | Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S2480) |
| Apr 8, 2025 | Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. |
| Apr 8, 2025 | Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S2480) |
| Jan 21, 2025 | Introduced in Senate |
| Jan 21, 2025 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. |
Sources: Congress.gov (bill record, sponsors, actions, amendments, CRS summary) and GovInfo (official text). Days are calendar days.